Bart Davenport broke plenty of hearts when he left the Bay Area for Southern California two years ago. Fans who championed him in beloved local acts such as the Loved Ones and Kinetics can take consolation in his new solo album, "Physical World." The singer-songwriter appears on the cover as a melancholy cartoon superhero, but he's still slinging the jangly, sweetly soulful melodies in "Dust in the Circuits" and "Wearing the Changes." Davenport plays a record release party Friday at the Chapel in San Francisco.

Q:What's your favorite thing about living in Los Angeles?

A: I like to cruise around listening to Burt Bacharach and looking at the palm trees. It's a less serious place. The constant sunlight breeds optimism.

Q:Why did you move?

A: I needed a change of scenery. I lived my entire life in the Bay Area. But I go back so often I feel as though I'm still pretty in touch with the place. That six-hour drive is pretty easy.

Q:There's a song on the album called "F- Fame." Does that sum up your mood these days?

A: It's not a literal statement. It's a character piece. If it's me, then it's me in a certain mood. I wouldn't necessarily reject fame if it were to come for me. It's what one would say if they were in the mood to say that.

Q:You have been making music for more than 20 years. What keeps you going?

A: It's a compulsion. As long as I have people behind me, that gives me the inspiration to keep going. If that were to go away I would just scale back. I have to look at it and have some vaguely realistic idea of where I am.

Q:Pitchfork said you work in trend-resistant niches. Is that accurate?

A: I wouldn't know how to fabricate some product that would be intended just to sell. I've really been trying to write this kind of pop song since the Kinetics - easy listening, jazz chords, up-tempo and fun. It's gone through these different evolutions that have to do with surface-level aesthetics, but it's still the same song.

Q:You're dressed as a superhero on the album cover. What are your powers?

A: Really good at changing the strings. Not so good at leaping off tall buildings. {sbox}